Dental floss dispenser



may 15, 1923. 1,455,673

V. J. SHALEK DENTAL FLOS S DISPENSER Filed Jan. 12. 1922 jy, /My/ e/ gjPatented ay l5, i923.

vrcfron J. SHALEK, or can PAR-K, rLLrNors.

DENTAL rLoss DrsrnNsna.

Application filed January 12, 1922. Serial No. 528,660.

T 0 all 'wLom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR J. SHALEK, a citizen of the United! States,and resident of Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Dental FlossDispensers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

This invention relates to acontainer or rey ceptacle for holding anddispensing dental floss or similar matter. The object of the inventionis the provision of a container which may be secured to the wall of atoilet adj acent the washbowl, or any other desired place, and whichwill rprotect the floss from dust and handling, yetl will permitadesired length of the floss to be readily removed from the container.

One of the features of the invention is the arrangement of the outercasing of the container in substantially the form of a cylinder with aremovable bottom to permit the insertion of a spool of floss, and abracket member for attaching the container to the wall.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of an inner spoolreceptacle or shell which is slidable into the outer casing and may bemaintained therein by a remo-vable end of the outer case. i

Still another feature of the invention is the arrangement by which theend of the inner receptacle forms a closure for one end of the outercasing of the container.

Another feature of the invention is theA arrangement of the cover,which, when in its closed position, acts to protect the floss from dustand handling, but, when moved to its open position, withdraws from thecontainer` a length of floss suicient to be readily grasped by the user.

A still further feature, and one related to the one last noted, is theprovision on the hinged cover of a holding and severing clip for thefloss, which acts to facilitate the breaking olf of the desired lengthof floss, and also operates to withdraw a portion of the floss from thecontainer when the cover is lifted.

Other features and advantages will appear from time to time as thedescription of theinvention progresses.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device with a part of the containerbroken away to-show the inner spool receptacle or shell andthe spool offloss therein;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the middle of the deviceat right eoy angles to Fig. 1, and showing the cover in f i its openposition;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on substantially the line 3 3 of Fig. 2,looking in the direction of the arrows. I

Referring now to the drawings, 11 is the i outer shell of the `containerwhich isy substantially cylindrical and is provided on one side thereofwith the bracket member 12 having lthe oppositely extending ears 13 forthe reception of screws 14 by means of which the container may besecured to the wall or other desired object. The cylindrical shell- 11is provided at its lower end with the screw-threaded portion 15 withinwhich may be secured the screw-threaded flange 16 of the end. cap 17.

The inner spool receptacle or shell consists of a substantiallysemi-cylindrical portion 18 provided with the circularend portions 19and 20. The end portion 19 is provided with an opening 21, through whichthe floss 22from the spool 23 may be drawn. The outer shell 11 of thecontainer7 at its upper end, is shouldered, as shown at 24, and has theinwardly extending flange 25 against of the hinge 27, one leaf of whichis securedy to the member 11, the other being secured to the flange 2Sof thel cover in any desired Secured to the outer side of the flange 28lat a point substantially diametri. cally opposite the hinge 27 is theupwardly and outwardly extending clip 29. i

Zhen it is desired to insert a spool of floss in the container, the endmember 17 is removed and the inner receptacle 18 is withdrawn. The spoolof floss is then inserted in the inner receptacle, the end of the flossbeing extended through the opening 21 in the end 19. The innerreceptacle with the spool therein is then inserted from below into theouter shell 11 and the end member 17 screwed in place.

In using the device, the cover will be from the container, as shown inFig. 2. The

` 1l() raised, withdrawing a portion of the llos's 22 user Willthengrasp the exposed-section of'` the floss and vremove the end from theclip 29 on'the cover 26. After withdrawing the desired. length flossfrom the container,

ythe cover 26 wel be closed andthe flossv passed over the clip 29,' whena slight downward jerk on the floss will causey it to be severed orbroken adjacentgto the clip.l The clip, however, Will still operate toretain the 10. end of the, floss v which is projecting from the opening`2lii and when the cover is l next raised, in the Operationoli-:obtaining a length Vrof floss, another length of' floss Will beagain dusv Withdrawn Vfrom the container, as lshownin Fig. r2, andtheprocess may be repeated.

It is seen that by the present arrangement,

the flosswithin the receptacle is at all times -fprotected fromd'ustandfrom handling andy vpivot means.- l

2. In a dental floss dispenser, a. container.`

maintained in a sanitary condition, and that in ,using the floss, theuser has accessjo'nlyv to the section of the flosswvhieh he or she de-.V

, .sires to use, the, remaining portion ofthe floss being fullyprotected'from dirt and handling by the cover ofthe receptacle. y

While. but a specific embodiment of the invention is disclosed, it is tobeunderstood that ma-ny modilicationsare contemplated,

'andthe invention is'to be limited only by i the-,scopeo'fthe appendedclaims. v ,.30V i What I claim is f 1. In a dental flossdispenser, acontainer adapted to hold. a spool of dental floss, a

icover, .means pivotally .joining said cover to one edgeof saidcontainer, a clip adapted 1 to hold a strandof floss seeuredto saidlcover,

at apoint substantially diametrically opposit'efithe pivot means, andmeans for .guiding the floss from said container at a point alsosubstantially diametrically opposite Y vrthe adaptedV -to -hold a spoolof dental floss, a coverfor said container, means pivotally se curingvsaidcover to said container at one edge thereof, a clip adapted toassist in breaking a threadof floss and to hold the end thereof securedto said cover at a point' remote from said pivot means, and meansadapted to guide the lossfrom said container at a point remotefromthepivot 3. In a. dental floss dispenser, a substan- I' tiallycylindrical member Aadapted to hold a spool of floss, a closure for oneend of said member, a coverpivotally secured to the opposite endthereof, a clip secured to said cover, and means for vguiding the flossfrom said cylindrical member at a point diametrically' opposite thepivot means.

4l. Ina dental floss dispenser, a substantiallycylindricalmember adaptedto fhold a spool of floss, a closure arranged vfor screw- 'threadedengagementwith -onefend of said member, a cover member, means pivotallysecuringv said cover to the opposite end of at right angles to the axisofthe container, a l

clipcarriedr by the coverfand located'atl a point substantially oppositethe pivot means,` and means carried by thecontainer for guiding thefloss therefrom at avpointalsoisubstantiallyoppositel the;k `Vaforesaidpivot` mea-11S.

6. In a dental floss dispenser, a receptacle,

an inner shell .adapted to; receivey a spoolof floss slidabl'e Withinsaid receptacle-,4a closure for one end of said receptacle,and`.an endfor saidshell arrangedto substantially close the other end of saidreceptacle.l i

semi-cylindrical rinner shelladalptednto receive'a spool of flossslidable Within saidv receptacle, a closure for one end of saidvreceptacle, and an end for said shellv arranged to substantiallyV close`the, other' end ofsaid; receptacle. f y u k8.-*In a dentalflossdispenser, a receptacle, an inner shell adapted to'receive-a'spoolof floss slidable Within.saidreeeptaele, a closure for one end of saidreceptacle, and circu- 7. In adental floss dispenser, a'substan--lgtialfly cylindrical receptacle, asubstantially ico lar ends for saidshell, one of. saidends Vbeing arranged to substantiallyclose theend ofsaid receptacle remote fromsaildclosure.V f

9. kIn' a dental flossdispenser, a substantially cylindrical receptacle,an innerfshell adapted` toreceive a spoolof fl'ossslidable within saidreceptacle, 'a closure for one end of said receptacle, vand an end forsaid shell arranged to substantially close the other end` llO of saidreceptacle and having an. opening therein forthe passage of astrand offloss. V10.*Ina dental floss dispenser, a substantially cylindrical jreceptacle, a .substantially semicylindrical inner shell adapted to-re-` ceive a spool of floss slidable within-said receptacle, a closuref arranged for :screwthreaded engagement With.` one end ofjsaidreceptacle, and circular ends for said shell,l 120 one of said endsbeing arranged tosiibstan tially close the end of said receptacle'remote from said closure and having an opening therein for the passageof a strandfofv floss.,

lll In al dental ,floss dispenser, a recep`` tacle,` an inner shelladapted to receive a spool of jlloss slidable Within said receptacle, anfend for said shell, arranged to substantially'close j one end of saidreceptacle and havingan` opening therein for the passageof a strand M-of floss, al cover pivotally joined tothe lad'- jacent end of saidreceptacle and arranged, when in Closed position, to overlie the end ofsaid shell, and a clip adapted to hold a strand of floss secured to saidcover.

l2. In a dental floss dispenser, asubstantially cylindrical receptacle,a substantially semi-cylindrical inner shell adapted to reoeive a spoolof floss slidable Within said receptacle, a substantially circular endfor said shell arranged to close one end of said receptacle and havingan opening therein for the passage of a strand of floss, a cover for theadjacent end of said receptacle, means pivotally securing` said Cover tosaid receptacle at one side thereof', and a clip adapted to hold astrand of floss on said cover at a point remote from said pivotal means.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my naine this 4th day ofJanuary, 1922.

VICTOR J. SHALEK.

Witnesses:

EDNA V. GUsTAFsoN, J. DAVID DIoKiNsoN.

